Shoe-shank support



H. G. JOSEPHSON SHOE sHAN'K SUPPORT File d March 16, 1922 Inventor: v Jlblmer G. Josephson,

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HELMER G. JOSEIPHSON, OF EAST LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN L. SI-IEVENELL, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, AND HELMER G. J'OSEPHSON, F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, TRUSTEES.

SHOE-SHANK SUPPORT.

Application filed March 16, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HELMER G. JosEPHsoN,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of East Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Shank Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shank supports for boots and shoes and has for its object the production of a device of this character which may be cheaply constructed and easily applied to a boot or shoe and when applied will give the required support to the shank.

The invention consists of a support made of metal having strengthening depressions at opposite ends, that at the forward end having a greater depth than those at the rear end.

The invention further consists of provid ing the support with securing prongs extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and arrange ment of parts which will be understood readily by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is shown in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described, except as required by the scope of the appended claims.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a plan of a shank support embodying the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 represents a transverse section on line 3, 3 on Fig. 2, and

Figure 4 represents a transverse section on line 4, 4 on Fig. 2.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Serial No. 544,154.

In the drawings 10 is a metal plate curved to fit the shank of a boot or shoe. One end of the plate 10 is provided with a deep V- shaped depression ll extending toward the opposite end of said plate and dividing into two shallow depressions 12 forming a Y as viewed in plan. These depressions 11 and 12 greatly stiifen the shank support, not only longitudinally but also laterally and cause it to retain its initial curvature. The V- shaped depression has a considerable depth as this part of the shank support sustains the most strain and the edges of the support opposite the V-shaped depression are spaced apart a distance considerably less than the edges opposite the shallow depressions 12. The edges of the wide portion are parallel and joined by inclined edges to the narrow portion, the edges of which are also parallel.

On either side of the depressions 11 and 12 and extending from one end of the plate to the other are two outwardly extending flanges 13, which are adapted to bear against the' inner sole of the shoe when positioned therein.

The shank support is provided with an opening 14 therein in which a rivet may be positioned to secure the shank support to the shoe if desired.

The opposite ends of the shank support are provided with upwardly extending V-shaped prongs 15 which are adapted to be inserted through the inner sole of the boot or shoe and then bent downwardly against the inner face of the inner sole to secure the shank support thereto.

This makes a very simple form of shank support having great rigidity and strengthened by the depressions 11 and 12 whereby its curvature will he maintained under all conditions.

By providing the securing prongs 15 formed integral with the plate 10, the shank support is complete in itself and may be easily secured in position without depending on other securing members. The clownwardly extending V-shaped portion 11 has a considerably greater depth than the shallow depressions 12. as most of the strain upon the shank support comes at this point just in advance of the heel of the completed shoe and requires a greater stiffening to retain the plate 10 in its original shape. In the forward end of the stiffener the depressions are of less depth in order to avoid thickening of the sole of the shoe at this point, as otherwise the wearer of the shoe would be subjected to some discomfort when the shoe was in use. The depressions 12, however, are of sufficient depth to prevent the stiffener from buckling.

The depression 11 has the greatest depth at its rear end and from a point where it is divided into the depressions 12 gradually decreases in depth as shown in Fig. 1.

The stiffener has the greatest tendency to buckle at a point about midway, of the length thereof and therefore at this point the depression. is widened and bifurcated, the two branches being angularly disposed relative to each other and then are parallel to each other and to the forward side edges of the stiffener. By constructing the stiffener in this manner the forward end of the stiffener is made rigid without much depth and by joining the depressions 12 to the depression 11 by angular portions the stifiener is given increased strength midway of its ends and is prevented from bending laterally.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of the invention will be readily understood without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal with a V-shaped depression bifurcated at one end and having flat portions laterally extending from said depression, the bifurcated portions of said depression being of less depth than the main portion thereof.

2. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal with a V-shaped depression at one end and two semi-cylindrical depressions joined thereto at its opposite end, said semi-cylindrical depressions being of a gradually decreasing depth.

3. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal curved to fit the shank of a shoe and having a V-shaped depression at one end and two semi-cylindrical depressions joined thereto at its opposite end having a. depth less than said l-shaped depression and gradually decreasing in depth toward the end of the stiffener.

i. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal with a deep i-shaped depression extending downwardly from one end and shallow depressions joined thereto at its opposite end, and having fiat laterally extending portions curved to fit the shank.

5. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal and curved to fit the shank having strengthening depressions, Y-shaped in plan, formed therein and provided with securing prongs extending upwardly therefrom atopposite ends.

6. A shank support for boots and shoes formed of metal and curved to fit the shank having at one end a wide portion with straight parallel edges and near; the oppositeend a narrower portion with straight parallel edges, said narrow portion having a deep V-shaped depression therein having parallel shallow depressions joined thereto and extending therefrom in the wide portion of the shank support.

Signed by me at 7A6 Old South Bldg, Boston, Mass, this 13th day of March, 1922.

HELMER G. JOSEPHSON.

Vitnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD,

NATHAN C. LOMBARD. 

